The $600 million mega project will open the doors for the development of Panama’s little known Caribbean region and reach isolated provinces like Coclé, Veraguas, Bocas del Toro and the indigenous Ngäbe-Buglé region. It’ll be a boon for tourism for sure, and the government is also talking about access for projects like the Donoso copper mine and the Colón natural gas plant.

The project began in 2013 and is due for completion in April 2019 (a bit delayed following the construction union’s nationwide strikes last May). The four-lane bridge is also a feat of engineering, as it’s a concrete cable-stayed structure with a 530 meter “light” (distance) from one pillar to the next. Built by the China Communications Construction Company, the project also clearly points to China’s increasing influence in shipping and logistics.

Finally, we’re super proud to be living in a country that has decided to dedicate the entire month of July to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals going forward. Panama was one of the first countries to formally adopt the SDGs in 2015. Since then, the 2030 Agenda is taught in every school and headlines the work of youth and other civic groups across the country. Every July from now on, the government, civil society groups, the private sector and other actors will design programs to reaffirm commitments to the UN’s social, economic and environmental goals, aimed at getting the whole country on board in one big social movement. We’re all in it together. Let’s make Panama’s future more sustainable, inclusive and equitable for everyone.